


eternally

by maraudersdrarry



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: I did not read this over once i finshed, LMAO, M/M, Oneshot, Yikes, it's like almost 3 am i just want to post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 14:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12819831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maraudersdrarry/pseuds/maraudersdrarry
Summary: "I really don't know.  Like I love tits, and Mac doesn't have tits.  But whenever he's at some gay bar I have this pit in my stomach.  And sometimes I notice how his hair looks really nice and sometimes I want to hold his hand, but I still love tits, but I don't know, and oh please don't make fun of me, I really don't know what to do."





	eternally

Dennis was waiting. The streetlights shone, the only source of light in Dennis and Mac's apartment. It was 2 am and he was waiting for Mac to come home, but he was pretending he just really liked what was on TV. He was watching Jeopardy and really who actually likes Jeopardy? Certainly not Dennis, but it was his excuse to wait up for Mac, while his subconscious knew why. 

He did this every time Mac went out without him. He got nervous for stupid reasons. You never really knew what could happen on the streets of Philly. The idea of Mac getting hurt wasn't a great one. Lately, Dennis realized what he was actually possibly feeling was jealousy. Mac was out at the new gay club that opened a few weeks ago, and Dennis was moody and restless. 

At 2:15 am, Dennis' phone buzzed. It was a text from Mac asking him to "you know, leave the apartment" because "you know, there was some beefcake" Mac wanted to "you know, go to town on".

Dennis sighed, and sent a text to Charlie to let him know he was on his way to his apartment. He knew Dee would be asleep, plus why would he want to spend the night with her. He did it enough times when they were kids for a lifetime. Charlie responded that it was chill he was coming over and Dennis sighed in relief. He needed company to distract himself from the fact Mac was about to fuck, or be fucked (he didn't know which was worse) by someone hotter than him. Not that he cared. He was just... worried is all. About Mac. 

He knocked on Charlie's door and Charlie answered.

"You have to be quiet because if you wake Frank up, he'll have to eat more cat food to fall back asleep and we're really low on cat food at the moment so-"

"Yeah, I'll be quiet if you shut up about you damn cat food," said Dennis.

"Dude come on you know cat food prices are skyrocketing."

"Charlie you know I didn't know that because, well because I don't eat cat food to fall asleep! If I need anything I'll drink some melatonin, or a warm glass of milk!"

"Okay, I don't know what melatonin is. Sounds worse than cat food, but I don't- why are you even here?"

Dennis plopped down into the one chair Charlie and Frank have in their apartment and sighed.

"Mac wanted me out of the apartment for a bit so he could bang someone," he said.

"Nice, good for him!" said Charlie.

"No it is not good for him!" snapped Dennis. Frank took a loud breath, but didn't wake up.

"Bro isn't it great that your best friend is getting some? Why are you being weird? Is it because he's banging dudes? I thought you were cool with that."

"It's not because he's-" Dennis closed his eyes. "I'm feeling a lot of weird feelings. Like I'm jealous. It's weird."

"But you're banging tons of chicks, bro. Why would you be jealous of Mac for-" Charlie stopped. They looked at each other and Charlie's expression softened. "Because you want to bang... him." Dennis didn't say anything. Charlie continued. "That's it, isn't it," he said.

"I don't know," said Dennis. He put his head in his hands. "I really don't know. Like I love tits, and Mac doesn't have tits. But whenever he's at some gay bar I have this pit in my stomach. And sometimes I notice how his hair looks really nice and sometimes I want to hold his hand, but I still love tits, but I don't know, and oh please don't make fun of me, I really don't know what to do." Dennis finished talking and peered up at Charlie. 

"I'm taking you out," said Charlie.

"What?"

"We're gonna see if you're into dudes. We're going to that new gay bar downtown. And you're gonna make out with a guy."

"How do you know about that place? Plus I don't want to go." But the more seconds Dennis thought about it, the more he wanted to find a guy and just as Mac phrased it: "go to town" on him. It would just get his mind off stuff. And Dennis was realizing, as he was getting a little aroused thinking about getting to grab somebody's biceps as he was making out with him, that he was probably most definitely into dudes.

"Okay fine," Dennis said. "But you're buying my drinks."

~

Dennis found someone. He was there only twenty minutes before he was grinding on some dude, and eventually in a bathroom stall, where Dennis got sucked off by him. Dennis thought of Mac the whole time. He left quickly after, found Charlie, and was out of there.

"So," said Charlie as they were walking back to his apartment. "Survey says?"

Dennis nodded. "Yeah. Definitely into dudes."

"And is Mac one of those dudes?"

Dennis thought about how much he'd have to deal with if he was into Mac. The awkwardness. The conversations. The everything.

"I don't think so," he answered.

"Dude you were talking about holding his hand earlier," said Charlie.

"Charlie, drop it or I'm going to tell everyone about how you keep a diary of poems about the waitress."

"How did you find that! That's private!"

"Charlie it was behind some cans of beer in the freezer! Eventually, someone was going to move those beers and find it! You're such a dumbass."

"That was a good hiding spot, you ruined it. Now I have to find a new hiding spot."

"Jesus Christ," said Dennis.

"But okay. I'll drop it," said Charlie. "But if you ever need advice on stalking or anything about relationships... I'm here bro. Okay?"

Dennis sighed, but knew Charlie meant it.

"Thanks, buddy," said Dennis.

~

Dennis stayed at Charlie's that night, he just couldn't face Mac. 

~

Dennis finally stumbled into Paddy's at noon. He was out extremely late with Charlie, and slept in a chair so his back and neck hurt. When he opened the door he was met with hollers from the gang. 

"We're going to the zoo!" Mac squealed.

"We're taking the day off running the bar," said Frank. "Some whore elephant is going to give birth and we wanna see it. So we're going."

So they went.

"You know some chimpanzees are gay," said Charlie looking right at Dennis as they were passing the chimpanzees. "Just like, a fact for you guys." He paused. "Dennis is gay!" he said and then covered his mouth.

"Goddammit Charlie!" yelled Dennis. "Goddammit! Why would you-"

"Dennis is gay?" asked Frank. Charlie was wide-eyed.

"No," Charlie said.

Dee was laughing. 

"That makes so much sense!" she could barely talk. "You talk about boobs to hide the fact-" she was cracking up. "Dennis you fairy! Oh my gosh!" she was doubled over.

Frank shrugged.

"Can we find the elephant or what?" he asked.

Mac was silent. He hadn't said a word. Until he did.

"I'm leaving," he said, and he stormed off back towards the entrance.

"That seemed a little homophobic," said Frank.

"Mac's gay you dumbass," said Dennis looking after him as he stormed off.

"Oh right, I forgot," said Frank, and he started walking again. Dee had composed herself and followed. Charlie, looking guilty, followed as well. Dennis, without a word to the rest of them, ran after Mac.

He reached him in the parking lot and grabbed his arm.

"Dude what's wrong?" he asked forcefully.

Mac shrugged Dennis off. He didn't turn to face Dennis, but he stopped walking.

"Why didn't you tell me. I'm your best friend, plus I could've helped you," said Mac.

Dennis stopped, his arm hovering above Mac's. He said in barely a whisper.

"I didn't know. Charlie took me out last night to test it and that was my first experience with a man. That's how I realized."

Mac turned around.

"How did Charlie know to take you out?"

Dennis dropped his hand. His eyes started to water and his heart was racing like crazy. He knew he couldn't tell Mac the truth, but he would give him some of it.

"Because I was jealous of you for being able to sleep with dudes. I went to Charlie's when you told me to get out of the apartment, not very nicely I might add, and I opened up to him, and we both just realized."

Mac smiled a bit.

"So you really didn't know. Were you gonna tell me?"

No. "Yes."

Mac's smile became complete.

"Wanna go watch a whore elephant give birth?" he asked.

"Hell yeah," said Dennis.

So they went. 

The elephant didn't give birth. It turned out she was just pregnant, and Frank read the article wrong.

~

"Put on your party shirt, Dennis, because we're going out!" yelled Mac. It was the next night, about 10:00 pm, Dennis happily obliged. 

They were in Dennis' car, having already driven for five minutes when Dennis asked.

"Where are we going, buddy?"

"The Rainbow!" said Mac. "I'm gonna get you accustomed to the 'being gay' game!"

Dennis was in the passenger seat, and he turned to Mac.

"I don't know, I mean I-"

"Bro- I'm not stopping this car, and you are hooking up with a guy tonight, even if I have to do it myself,"

Dennis' stomach did a flip. He was too dazed from Mac saying he may bang him to comprehend what he was agreeing to.

"Yeah okay," Dennis said.

~

They had been at the bar an hour, and it seemed to Dennis that Mac had forgotten about him. Mac was dancing with some stupid guy, and Dennis was glaring at them.

“Hey, pretty boy,” a voice jolts Dennis’ concentration, a man in a denim jacket across the bar calling to him. “What’s the deal?”

“What?” Dennis played dumb, answering the question numbly.

“You haven’t stopped staring at the two young broods over there since they started dancing.” the man clarifies, moving to take a seat next to Dennis. “Which one of them is it?”

“Is what?”

The man chuckles. “Which one of them are you in love with?”

Dennis choked on the drink he was sipping.

"In love with?" he choked out.

"Unless it's neither and you want to get dirty with me," the man says. 

Dennis realizes that he didn't want to "get dirty" with the guy. He wanted to do it with Mac. Really badly. And maybe it was infatuation, an obsession, or maybe it was love, but Dennis needed to confront Mac then and there. Without a word or even a glance at the man who just made Dennis realize his feelings, he was up and practically running towards Mac.

He reached the dance floor and was approached by a twenty-year-old twink that tried to start something with Dennis. Dennis basically shoved him away and continued to Mac. He reached him, and dragged Mac away from the dude he was with, and outside. It was brisk outside. Hints of Winter were visible, but it was still Autumn. Mac was wearing a tank top and immediately started shivering. 

"Are you okay dude? I hope you aren't because I was really getting somewhere with that hot guy and I don't know if he'll still want to-" Mac stopped. Dennis was crying. Not lightly. Tears were streaming down his face, fast.

"Bro," said Mac lightly. "What's wro-"

"Don't call me bro!" screamed Dennis. He wanted something else. He wanted "baby" or "honey" or anything, but just not "bro". People started staring at them. They were being quite dramatic.

"Dennis..." said Mac and he reached out an arm to rest on Dennis'. Dennis looked down at it and thought about all the times they subconsciously touched and thought maybe he had a chance. But he couldn't do it. He was too afraid to kiss Mac, or to tell him he loved him, so he decided to lie- again.

"Some guy was a dick to me in there," he said.

"The world isn't ending, okay bud? It just feels like it. Let's go home and watch a movie all right?" Mac wiped the tears from Dennis' face and Dennis' heart leaped. Why was it Mac just always knew what to do, even if it was a fake situation?

They went home and watched a movie. They may have sat really close, and their hands may have brushed more than necessary when reaching for popcorn, but neither man mentioned it.

~

The next person Dennis talked to was Dee. 

"Dennis, I acted like an asshole the other day. Just know that I support you no matter how many dicks you wanna suck. I mean that, okay?"

"Yeah Dee I really could not care less about your support," said Dennis

Dennis left her standing there and went to find Charlie. He was in the bathroom doing... Charlie Work. Dennis had no idea what he was actually trying to achieve, but he knew it was Charlie Work.

"Charlie I'm in love with Mac. Big time in love. I can't fucking think about him anymore without getting goddamn butterflies and I hate it so much because I miss him right now. I'm a big baby that left the apartment twenty minutes ago and I miss him."

Charlie stood up.

"Dude you smell disgusting, what the hell were you doing?" asked Dennis.

"It doesn't matter," said Charlie. "Are you gonna tell him?"

"I don't know how," said Dennis.

Charlie then spent ten minutes explaining how he first declared his love for the waitress.

"But that didn't work out, and honestly never will," said Dennis.

"Well saying 'never' is a bit harsh," said Charlie. "But you gotta tell him!" Chalire lightly punched Dennis' shoulder. "You gotta do it."

Dennis did not want to tell Mac he was in love with him, but seeing how well Charlie keeping his last secret went, he knew he had to. He took a breath and left the bathroom with his head down, he was thinking. He bumped right into Mac once he got out.

"Hey," said Mac.

Dee slipped out of the back door.

"Can we sit?" asked Dennis.

They took a seat in one of Paddy's booths across from each other.

"I know something else happened to you last night. I've never seen you like that, dude," said Mac.

Dennis took a breath. This was really it. He was really about to do it, huh.

"You're right," said Dennis. Mac was looking at him intently. Dennis couldn't meet his gaze. "I realized something that made me go berserk. I realized I can't imagine life without you."

Mac smiled softly. He opened his mouth to say something. 

"Let me finish," said Dennis. "Sometimes my bed feels empty. When I want to spend the rest of my life with you, there's something missing. The part where you fill my bed. The part where we don't just brush hands, but we hold them. I'm in love with you, Mac."

Mac just stared at Dennis. Dennis finally looked up and met Mac's gaze.

"Please say something, Mac. Was I too forward? Maybe it's just a little crush not full blown love, we don't have to-"

"Stop talking you asshole," said Mac. He stood up and so did Dennis. Mac came around and grabbed Dennis' hands. They both smiled.

"Dennis it's really only ever been you. Every guy I've been with? Either they looked like you or I pretended they did. I've loved you since before I knew I did."

Dennis smiled and they looked at each other for a moment, before they leaned in at the same time to finally kiss. Gentle at first, but not for long. They were thrilled with each other. Mac's mouth was warm and Dennis' arms became tingly. Mac pushed him back into the booth and practically straddled him. They were pressed close together, trying to be as close to each other as possible, just taking each other in. Dennis ran his hands up Mac's arms, feeling his muscles move while they kissed. Neither man wanted to pull away, but they knew they were making out in the middle of an open bar, so Mac pulled away.

"The last thing I want to do right now is explain to Frank what's happening between us. Wanna go back to the apartment?" Asked Mac.

Dennis' eyes were closed. He could still taste Mac in his mouth and he could not wait to again.

"Yes," he breathed.

Mac pulled Dennis up and did not let go of his hand. Dennis drove home with one hand on the wheel and the other clutched in Mac's. They got upstairs to their apartment, closed the door and continued. 

They slept in one bed together that night, and held onto each other for dear life. There was a moment Dennis woke up and stared at Mac for a few minutes. Mac's breathing was even, and he looked peaceful. Happy. Dennis whispered. "I love you eternally." He just needed to say it, he needed to say he'd love Mac forever. He fell right asleep after that and neither had ever slept better.


End file.
